Optus and Ericsson unveil energy-efficient RAN site

Optus, in collaboration with Ericsson, has announced the deployment of Australia’s latest energy-efficient radio access network (RAN) site at Optus’s Moorebank site in Sydney. The two companies have created a RAN solution leveraging lightweight, new-generation radios and basebands that can achieve energy savings of up to 25%, depending on equipment being used, following an upgrade and equipment refresh.

Following the initial deployment at the Moorebank site, Optus will now begin upgrading sites across its network, resulting in a decrease in energy consumption that saves up to approximately 40 kWh per day when coupled with energy-saving software features. The new RAN will also assist in a more energy-efficient deployment of Optus’s 5G mobile network, helping Optus to overcome challenges related to building more 5G sites to support the ever-growing demand in capacity and speeds from customers in metros and regional Australia.

“The new RAN we’ve deployed in collaboration with Ericsson plays a critical role in not only the sustainable growth of our 4G and 5G network, but also in contributing to our sustainability commitment to reduce our 2025 emissions by 25%,” said Lambo Kanagaratnam, Vice President, Networks at Optus.

“We are also working with Ericsson to improve their embedded emissions of equipment production and supply, which will be important to our net zero ambitions which include emissions in our supply chain.

“Through innovation like this, Optus seeks to improve customer experience and reduce our environmental footprint.”

Martin Wiktorin, Head of Ericsson Global Customer Unit, Singtel, said, “At Ericsson, sustainability is integral to our business and has become a fundamental part of how we operate and innovate. This new RAN deployment represents an important step toward our mission to be net zero across our value chain by 2040 and cut emissions by 50% in our portfolio in use and supply chain by 2030. We are proud to have collaborated with Optus in creating a RAN solution that will continue to support the development of Australia’s sustainable future.”

Image credit: iStock.com/fatido